Articles published 1/2026
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Goldman Sachs chief goes off -- in a good way -- about RIAs, promising more 'footprint' and 'partnerships,' and doubles down by elevating seven 'wealth' execs to powerful managment committee
January 31, 2026 at 1:54 AMCEO David Solomon labels United Capital an 'experiment' but RIA custody and RIA GSAM distribution are rocking it and 'very effective,' he asserts.
Schwab creates 'organization' for Neesha Hathi to head up at intersection of wealth and banking, after Rick Wurster identifies it as the 'No. 1 thing' from RIAs -- analysts say not so much
January 30, 2026 at 3:00 AMWith bank loans and RIA custody silos under Schwab's power, the Schwab CEO will 'organize' them together, and a respected, trusted executive will take it all on.
BNY appoints new Pershing chief in latest sign it wants to solidify No. 3 status among RIA custodians -- executed by ex-Goldman Sachs CEO with cross-selling vision embedded in the culture
January 29, 2026 at 1:51 AMAdam Vos is a young rising star from BNY corporate who takes over from 44-year Pershing veteran Jim Crowley -- with a mission to 'galvanize' the bank and RIA custody worlds.
An RIA coach from Minneapolis writes about his city in this painful moment, visits where Alex Pretti died and reflects on the impact of his death
January 28, 2026 at 12:44 AMHorsemouth advisor coach Chris Holman found himself at the juncture of a tragic local and national news story, and contemplated its meaning with a neighbor who knew Pretti from school.
Rick Wurster muddled a metaphor to reassure analysts that Schwab is wise to Robinhood's new game, and that the choice to precede cautiously on 'predictions' is demand-driven as much as high-road ethics
January 27, 2026 at 1:50 AMAfter falling behind (initially) on zero commission trading, crypto-trading, and complex retail day-trading, Schwab's CEO is prepared to ‘go’ on prediction markets, but only -- for now -- gambling on 'investing-related' matters
After gaining critical feedback from failed sale, Edelman Financial Engines shifts to Orion software, and will apparently try M&A market again with its gleaming new engine
January 24, 2026 at 3:18 AMOrion won the $302-billion RIA to notch its 17th of 20 Barron's top advisors as Edelman Financial Engines attempts to achieve long-held objective of smoothing 401(k) rollover path from its vast institutional book to its retail financial advisors
Rick Wurster declares Schwab Advisor Services all but unbeatable after dazzling quarterly growth of $98 billion and discloses in-house RIA books cut to improve service levels
January 22, 2026 at 3:53 AMSchwab Advisor Services amply outgrew Charles Schwab & Co. in 2025, and Rick Wurster is vowing to help RIAs even more by hiring more in-house RIA wealth managers to avoid stretching existing managers thin.
Hedge funds post rare banner year in 2025, but the S&P 500 index beat'em by nearly 400 basis points -- a reminder RIAs should be in no rush to join the party
January 20, 2026 at 11:29 PMSure, hedge funds provide some legit downside protection, but at what fee and opportunity cost? RIAs must also deal with illiquidity, low transparency and subpar returns.
Vanguard completes internal split into two giant teams -- VCM and VPM -- a move intended to 'streamline' but also to assuage concerns about lack of diverse perspectives in the proxy voting ecosystem, it says
January 17, 2026 at 1:48 AMThe Malvern, Pa., team split is about by a 75/25 ratio in terms of assets under management as the giant wagers it can reap the benefits of immensity and self-imposed competitive intensity.
iCapital gets props for poaching top Fidelity executive, Gary Gallagher; with IPO in reach, new president is trusted by RIAs universe and big hitters alike
January 16, 2026 at 2:28 AMThe New York City alternative investments company 'services' $1 trillion and dominates as a platform to platforms, like Fidelity, Schwab and Envestnet, but 'dominance' still means just $283.9 billion in alternative platform assets
Wealthfront's shares nosedive after tepid flows and 'stark' revelation that its CEO owns the bank at heart of robo-advisor's mortgage future
January 13, 2026 at 11:09 PMThe Palo Alto online RIA met revenue expectatons in its first post-IPO earnings call, but weakness in flows pummel stock; the 'asymmetrical' ownership of its mortgage unit also raises concerns, lawyers and analysts say
Vanguard names Joanna Rotenberg to replace Matt Benchener as retail chief, after he takes CEO role at Hargreaves Lansdown, the UK's largest DIY online broker
January 12, 2026 at 9:18 PMCEO Salim Ramji makes quick secession move as he reshapes Vanguard's executive team in a move to make more DYI investors into advised clients and react to Schwab and Fidelity.
SEC proposal to define RIAs as 'small,' unless they have $1 billion-plus in AUM, is a 'big deal,' IAA lawyer says, even if one key suggestion is currently excluded
January 10, 2026 at 2:45 AMCurrently, only sub-$25-million AUM RIAs, get accorded 'small-entity' regulatory status, which is burdensome for tens of thousands of small practices, says Independent Adviser Association, though ideally a metric other than AUM should define size
Envestnet loses 'understated,' but 'key' C-suite exec., Molly Weiss - one of the last to know where the firm's start-up 'skeleton bones' are buried
January 8, 2026 at 10:30 PMEnvestnet is now in the process of hiring a new chief product officer to take over a large subset of Weiss's last brief at the firm, following her 'planned' departure.
'Pershing' will finally have an RIA referral program, but a consultant (and former Schwab exec) says it's really not much like Fidelity's or Schwab's and that's a big issue
January 8, 2026 at 3:35 AMThe Jersey City, N.J., custodian never had self-directed assets to refer, but it will now create a way for 'Lockwood' clients to request an RIA -- and may resell third party referrals, too
Rick Wurster held the line on Schwab-hosted gambling in 2025, but does a new effort to cultivate day traders signal he's looking for that 'dopamine burst' in the New Year?
January 7, 2026 at 3:23 AMSchwab's CEO refuses to rule out an eventual roll-out of a 'prediction market' service, but for now, he's focused on bolstering support for day-traders in the face of growing competition from Robinhood.
Envestnet 'intentionally' destroyed crucial evidence, a judge has ruled, upping the stakes and dealing a potentially fatal blow in its six-year legal battle with FinApps
January 6, 2026 at 4:04 AMFederal District Court Judge Jennifer L. Hall has given both parties until Jan. 20 to jointly report on the case, which strongly suggests a settlement is in the offing.
